Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of the biggest real estate company in the Middle East, visited North Korea yesterday, stirring speculation about his interest in a possible development project in the isolated country.

The Unification Ministry said the chairman of the United Arab Emirates’ state-run Emaar Properties PJSC flew to Pyongyang on his way to the Chinese coastal city of Dalian to attend a global business forum.

During the one-day stop-over, Alabbar visited a world peace center at the Pyeongchon district of Pyongyang, the ministry said. Sources said the visit also included a tour of hotels in the city.

Ahead of his trip to Pyongyang, Alabbar stopped in Seoul to receive an honorary doctoral degree in law from Sun Moon University affiliated with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. He flew to North Korea over the West Sea.

Alabbar is well known for his key role in transforming Dubai into a world-famous tourist city. He is a senior aide to Dubai’s Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and leads the Dubai-based Emaar Properties, the Middle East’s biggest developer by market value.

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